MANILA, Philippines (2nd update, 1:02 p.m.) — President Rodrigo Duterte will be asking Congress to prolong the effectivity of martial law in Mindanao until the end of the year.

Ernesto Abella, Duterte's spokesperson, suggested on Tuesday that both the Department of National Defense and the Philippine National Police recommended the extension of martial law on the country's second southern island amid the continuing fighting between government forces and Islamic State sympathizers in Marawi City.

The two security agencies "have come to the conclusion that the existing rebellion in Mindanao... cannot be quelled completely by July 22nd, 2017," Abella said at a news briefing at Malacañan on Tuesday, reading Duterte's letter to Congress.

"For this reason, because public safety requires it, I call upon the Congress to extend until 31st of Dec, 2017 or for such a period of time that Congress may determine the proclamation of martial law and the suspension of privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao," he continued.

Proclamation 216 on martial law and the suspension of the writ, which allows the military to arrest suspected individuals without warrant, was signed by Duterte in Russia on May 23. The Constitution grants that the declaration of martial law will last for 60 days, in this case, until July 23, a day before Duterte is expected to deliver his annual State of the Nation Address before a joint session of Congress.

In this letter to the legislature, Duterte applies the term "rebellion" as stipulated in the Constitution to refer to terrorist activity in Marawi City, a small part of Mindanao, and the condition of "public safety" in asking Congress to allow continuing martial rule in Mindanao.

Duterte previously said that he would review reports of the DND and the PNP to decide on the extension. Ignoring that problems besetting Mindanao are complex and needing long-term solutions, Duterte also claimed that martial law is to once and for all solve terrorism in the troubled south.

On Monday, House of Representatives majority leader Rodolfo Fariñas said that Duterte would call Congress to a special session to consider the extension of military rule in Mindanao.

_________________“YESTERDAY IS HISTORY, TOMORROW A MYSTERY, AND TODAY A GIFT…THAT’S WHY IT IS CALLED THE PRESENT “.

MANILA, Philippines — Extending the declaration of martial law and the suspension of the write of habeas corpus in Mindanao until the end of 2017 violates the 1987 Constitution, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said Tuesday.

President Rodrigo Duterte is set to ask Congress, which will meet in a special joint session on Saturday, to allow the extension of the the declaration in Mindanao until the end of the year.

The 60-day martial law declaration in Mindanao is set to expire on July 22, two days before Duterte delivers his second State of the Nation Address before members of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

_________________“YESTERDAY IS HISTORY, TOMORROW A MYSTERY, AND TODAY A GIFT…THAT’S WHY IT IS CALLED THE PRESENT “.

MANILA, Philippines - A majority of Filipinos are in favor of martial law in Mindanao, but more than six out of 10 of them oppose the expansion of martial law to the Visayas and Luzon, the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) shows.

The survey, taken from June 23 to 26, found that 57 percent of adult Filipinos believe that “it was the right decision,” 29 percent said it should have been declared only in Marawi City and the province of Lanao del Sur, while 11 percent said it should have been declared only in Marawi, Lanao del Sur and nearby provinces.

Those who said President Duterte was right in declaring martial law in the whole of Mindanao was highest in Mindanao at 64 percent, followed by Metro Manila at 58 percent, the Visayas at 57 percent and balance Luzon at 53 percent.

By class, it was highest in class ABC at 70 percent, followed by class E at 58 percent and class D at 56 percent.

_________________“YESTERDAY IS HISTORY, TOMORROW A MYSTERY, AND TODAY A GIFT…THAT’S WHY IT IS CALLED THE PRESENT “.

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — The business sector in Mindanao supports the declaration of martial law in the island, a Zamboanga business leader said, arguing that it will boost investor confidence in conflict-affected areas.

Pedro Rufo ‘Pocholo’ Soliven, regional governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the business sector wants a peaceful business climate for investment.

Zamboanga City was besieged by a faction of the Moro National Libeeration Front led by Nur Misuari in 2013 and has been on alert against attacks due to continuing military operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu and Basilan.

Soliven said security operations in the past four decades were a failed experiment, saying the government treated criminality and violence with a "kid glove policy."

Soliven, also chairman of the Regional Development Council, said many areas in Mindanao, including this city, are not on the radar of foreign investment despite their potential because of the perceived negative image.

“I believe and strongly support the martial law declaration because this will boost the trust of investment in this part of Mindanao and the Mindanao as a whole,” Soliven said.

Ronald Go, president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said last Wednesday that the declaration is "clearly a message to these elements that Mindanaoans are not going to allow these ruthless people to get away with their crimes against humanity, that their terroristic activities will not be tolerated anymore."

He said that the declaration "may lead to short-term setbacks as investors may be wary of the implications of a state of martial law but, as a community, this should be looked upon as a short-term sacrifice that will ensure our long-term progress."

The Mindanao Development Authority, the government panel tasked with setting an "integrated development framework" for Mindanao, has also backed the declaration of martial law, which was done in response to clashes in Marawi City with the Islamic State-inspired Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf faction of Isnilon Hapilon last Tuesday.

It said it "fully supports" the declaration.

_________________“YESTERDAY IS HISTORY, TOMORROW A MYSTERY, AND TODAY A GIFT…THAT’S WHY IT IS CALLED THE PRESENT “.

there are no recorded military and police abuses, that was the major apprehension of the anti ML, seems that it was really different from marcos ML so if they need extensions for peace and order, why not but it should be just another 60 days and then review ulit.

there are no recorded military and police abuses, that was the major apprehension of the anti ML, seems that it was really different from marcos ML so if they need extensions for peace and order, why not but it should be just another 60 days and then review ulit.

This is the stark contrast between Marcos and Digong...Yet Marcoses are trying hard to connect themselves to Digong's name...

_________________“YESTERDAY IS HISTORY, TOMORROW A MYSTERY, AND TODAY A GIFT…THAT’S WHY IT IS CALLED THE PRESENT “.

extension on selected provinces... but not the whole mindanao island...

i.e. Surigao and Siargao do not have insurgencies... and its a tourist destination...

why include them...

.. and this.

This is my take why whole Mindanao was included in the declaration of Martial Law...

If you will declare ML in Marawi only, what's the assurance that the terrorists will not go to other parts of Mindanao?Marawi is just 30kms away from Iligan City, less than 100kms away from Pagadian and Ozamis, a little over 100kms from Cotabato City, Maguindanao, Cagayan de Oro and at least 200kms away from Bukidnon...

Tingin ko mas OK na ang overreaction kesa magsisisi sa huli..

_________________“YESTERDAY IS HISTORY, TOMORROW A MYSTERY, AND TODAY A GIFT…THAT’S WHY IT IS CALLED THE PRESENT “.

extension on selected provinces... but not the whole mindanao island...

i.e. Surigao and Siargao do not have insurgencies... and its a tourist destination...

why include them...

Maybe nothing for now.Then if you exclude Surigao and Siargao, others will be asking to be excluded too.More complicated, less effective.Only criminal and terrorist groups should be concerned.

it should be nothing now and further...intelligence should inplace and working to prevent over spill from affected provinces...a less martial law affected provinces is a proof of a controlled and minimized insurgencies...martial law is a special law and should be temperorary..the focus and end in mind is how to revert back to nornal life and implementing the regular and normal law...

right now, admin is proposing the extension till end of the year.. that's almost 7 months...but before, they keep promising that crime, drugs and corruption will end in 3-6 months...

extension on selected provinces... but not the whole mindanao island...

i.e. Surigao and Siargao do not have insurgencies... and its a tourist destination...

why include them...

.. and this.

This is my take why whole Mindanao was included in the declaration of Martial Law...

If you will declare ML in Marawi only, what's the assurance that the terrorists will not go to other parts of Mindanao?Marawi is just 30kms away from Iligan City, less than 100kms away from Pagadian and Ozamis, a little over 100kms from Cotabato City, Maguindanao, Cagayan de Oro and at least 200kms away from Bukidnon...

Tingin ko mas OK na ang overreaction kesa magsisisi sa huli..

Surigao is infested with NPA. Davao is a safe zone but not far away from that is Samal Island, part of DAVAO DEL NORTE( just a few kilometers from Davao City), where two Canadian tourists were abducted by Abu Sayyaf in one of its exotic beaches. The intention of Martial Law is not only to monitor the muslim terrorists as well as other rebel groups whose operations are to create destabilization and terror. Any place which is part of Mindanao, whether it's a known tourist spot like Siargao is always in danger of being infiltrated. Syempre, saan tatakas at magtatago ang mga yan kundi sa lugar na hindi gaanong matindi ang military security. Take for instance, i know this is in Bohol pero sino mag aakala na lulusob sa isang tahimik na tourist spot ang Abu Sayyaf. Example lang yan, not necessarily sa Mindanao baka kasi me bobo magsasabi na bakit isinali. It only shows no place is safe dahil lahat ng malalapit na lugar, escape destination ng mga terorista lalo pa maluwag ang security. Kaya tama si manay na prevention is better than cure para walang sisihan sa huli. Dyan kasi magagaling ang iba pagdating sa bagay na yan.

what happened in marawi is both under estimation of maute and failure of intelligence, aminado and defense department dyan. kaya nag declare ng martial law..

with what happened, they have learned their lessons. fortified regular military activities tight security would be enough outside the war zone. declaring ML in the whole mindanao is admitting there is a failure in the whole island.

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